Coupler hangers for trampolines



Dec. 15, 1959 M. E. PEASE COUPLER HANGERS FOR TRAMPOLINES Filed Feb. 4, 195a INVENTOR.

MASON E. PEAS E ATTOR NEYS United States Patent 2,916,746 COUPLER HANGERS FOR TRAMPOLINES Mason E. Pease, Portland, Oreg.

Application February 4, 1958, Serial No. 713,171

1 Claim. (Cl. 199) The present invention relates to improvements in coupler hangers for trampolines.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved resilient coupler hanger for supporting the net within the frame of trampoline assemblies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a resilient coupler hanger that can be easily connected to the net and framework by a special hook arrangement.

Another object of the inventionis to provide an arrangement in connecting the hook to the resilient members of the coupler hanger so as to prevent distortion and wear to the resilient members.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is afragmentary corner plan view of a trampoline frame with the net supported by a coupler hanger.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the hook assembly and resilient members of the coupler hanger.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the hook assembly and resilient members assembled and secured together.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure -3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character indicates generally a trampoline frame of a substantially rectangular form.

The frame 10 has a tubular portion 11 and an integral flat bar 12 associated therewith with spaced holes 13 passing therethrough. A net 14 is positioned within the frame 10.

The net 14 is formed from woven tape elongated strips 15 and 16 running at right angles to one another. Secured under the ends of the strips are metallic rods 17, to which coupler hangers 18 are attached.

The coupler hangers 18 include resilient members 19 preferably formed, of small rubber bands 20 bound together within a sheathing 21. The sheathing 21 may be made of nylon or any other suitable material having the ability to stretch with the rubber bands 20 when tension is exerted thereon. A hook assembly H including loops of wire 23 are secured to one another in parallel rela- 0 tion by a hook 24 welded thereto.

Before securing the hook assembly H to the ends of the resilient members 19, a tape 22 is wrapped thereabout after which they are cut to length providing ends 25 over which the hook assembly H is secured. The tape 22 protects the ends of the resilient members 19, as Well as holding rubber band strands 20 together without becoming disconnected from one another when cutting the members 19 to length.

The ends 25 are brought in between the reverse bends 26 of the loops of wire 23, after which the ends 25 are squeezed together, as indicated in Figures 3 and 4. The bending together of the reverse bends 26 onto the ends 25, secures the hookassembly H to the ends 25 of the resilient members 19, the ends bulging therebetween, as indicated at 27, causing the loops 23 to countersink themselves into the resilient material, preventing the loops 23 from slipping off the ends 25 of the resilient members 19, especially as shown in Figure 3.

It will be noted that there are no sharp bends in the resilient members 19 and that a straight even pull is exerted thereon. This extends the life of these supports or hangers almost indefinitely.

The hooks 24 are hooked into the holes 13 of the fiat bar 12 of the frame 10, and into the extended loops 28 of the rods 17, which are embedded under the ends of the strips 15 and 16 of the net 14-.

Heretofore in coupler hangers, the resilient members were passed through eyes or the like, with a resulting tendency to wear them out rapidly, but as stated above with this assembly there is no binding or chafing of these resilient members in any way where they are connected to the frame or net or bed, due to the manner in which the hook assembly H is applied.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A trampoline hanger comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel cylindrical resilient members, a hook assembly at each end of said pair of members, each of said hook assemblies including a pair of transversely extending spaced apart parallel wires, a wire hook, a wire shank integrally formed on said hook and extending perpendicularly-to and rigidly secured to the mid-portions of said wires, an integral loop formed on each end of each of said wires with said loops arranged in spaced parallel relation, said shank positioned completely between said members with said loops tightly and separately encompassing the end portions of said resilient members securing said hook assembly thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,420 Schwartz Jan. 2, 1900 1,546,145 Otewalt July 14, 1925 2,100,393 Hamilton Nov. 30, 1937 2,652,966 Griswald Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 80,635 Norway Apr. 10, 1951 551,770 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1943 

